What is POP3, IMAP and SMTP

With POP3 you connect to your email server and download the email to your device.
Because this email is now stored on your PC or mobile it can be accessed even when you don’t have an Internet connection.
POP3 also tells the server to delete the email after it has been downloaded which helps you keep disk usage low on the server. Advanced options in your email client will allow you to delay this delete command for days or weeks, giving you enough time to access the email using another device if needed.
POP3 can only access the Inbox of your mailbox so won’t download any subfolders you have created.
POP3 won’t synchronise your folders e.g. if you connect with 2 devices using POP3 and read an email on one it will still be unread on the other also if you then reply to the email on one device it won’t appear in the sent folder on the other.

IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol

When you connect to your mailbox using IMAP you view all the email and folders in your mailbox.
IMAP synchronises your mailbox with all devices that connect with IMAP e.g. access an email on one device and it will appear as read on another, then reply to the email and the reply will also appear in the Sent folder of your other mail clients.
Delete an email with one device and it is deleted from the server, it can no longer be accessed by other devices.

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

When you send an email you connect with your mail server using SMTP, your mail server then uses SMTP to communicate with the recipients mail server which then takes the email and places it in their inbox.
Domaincheck’s email servers require you to authenticate your SMTP connections with your email address and password, some email clients will display that this is optional but if you want to be able to send email from your account you must fill these in (or select the option to use the same settings as the incoming server if available).